With critics questioning its legality, a Republican lawmaker on Monday announced she is refusing the $12,500 bonus she’s getting as vice chair of the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction.

“My office is in the process of returning these uncashed checks to the taxpayers of our state,” said state Sen. Pam Helming.

Helming is one of seven lawmakers in the Senate — three Independent Democratic Conference members, plus four Republicans — who were listed falsely as committee chairs on Senate records forwarded to the state comptroller’s office.

Her statement comes as Senate Republicans claim the classification of “vice chairs” remains a legal and commonplace procedure.

Democrats insist only committee chairs can legally get the stipends and are demanding investigations.

“There is one vice-chair position explicitly listed in legislative law among those entitled to an allowance: vice chair of the Legislative Commission on the Development of Rural Resources,” Shontell Smith, chief counsel to the Senate Democrats, wrote in a memo.

Sen. José Peralta (D-Queens), an IDC member, defended getting $12,500 as vice chair of the Energy and Telecommunications Commission, saying he received $14,500 as minority whip.